Publication

Abstract : Indian and Chinese patenting activity in US patent system are analysed from different perspectives. Two types of patenting activity are analysed  patents assigned (PA), and patents invented but not assigned (PNA). Within each of these two types, patents are further segregated in terms of their categories of patents  utility, design, and plant patents. Based on these delineations, the characteristics of their patenting activity are uncovered. Patents are further matched to technology sector to uncover their relative strengths and weakness’ in various technology sectors/sub-sectors. PA and PNA patents of both the countries show differences in terms of different types of institutions involved in patenting and the collaborative linkages among institutions. In case of China, patents addressing technology sectors do not exhibit major difference within the two types of patents. On the otherhand India’s PA and PNA patents exhibit major difference in the technology sectors being addressed. Cross-national comparisons show marked difference among PA patents of India and China. However, PNA patents of both these countries exhibit similarity. The difference is only in the categories of their patents. The study suggests that the various distinctions explored in this paper can be useful for policy analysis.